Using NFC-enabled phones for remote data acquisition and digital control

Abstract

An approach is discussed to connect stand-alone devices to wireless services by adding Near Field Communication (NFC) capability to such devices. Research has shown that simple NFC interfaces can be built for the specific purpose of connecting to existing equipment that require regular monitoring or digital control. This fact can be exploited to enable wireless monitoring and control of both mobile and immobile equipment, using an NFC-enabled phone as a gateway between a back-end terminal and NFC-enabled equipment. Various wireless protocols for the back-end connection are discussed and compared, as well as a brief look at the current state of NFC phones in the industry. The approach discussed in this paper proves to be a viable alternative in terms of the time it saves in comparison with manual methods of data acquisition and digital system control, whilst being a very simple and inexpensive solution. Such an approach is especially advantageous in systems where monitored equipment need to be mobile and where power consumption is an important consideration.

The Role of Advanced Sensing in Smart Cities

“…Payment for the electricity is automatically done after the encrypted reading has been send over-the-air to the service's banking back-end [20]. Data acquisition and control: NFC enabled smartphones can be used to interface with control systems for remote control [21] and can be used as platforms for advanced measurement and processing [22]. …”

Znaczenie Technologii Informacyjno-Komunikacyjnych W Zrównoważonym Rozwoju Miast

“…: a) inteligentny pomiar energii -liczniki umożliwiają automatyczny odczyt, transferują dane do dostawcy energii, do odbiorcy oraz automatycznie naliczają opłatę za zużycie (Chinese City 2012). b) monitorowanie i sterowanie zużyciem mediów z opcjami automatycznego rozliczania płatności za zużycie (Opperman, Hancke 2011). c) wykorzystanie rozwiązań NFC w aplikacjach turystycznych, informujących mieszkańców o aktualnych imprezach, trasach wycieczkowych, rozmieszczeniu istotnych punktów turystycznych (hoteli, restauracji, muzeów, zabytków itd.…”

NFC-Based User Interface for Smart Environments

“…In the active mode, which is not possible in traditional RFID solutions, NFC peers may exchange messages; in the passive mode, one of the two nodes acts only as a passive tag. An NFC tag may store a given amount of information: a Universal Resource Locator (URL) addressing a specific resource on the web, the value of a specific measure, or figure [4]. NFC applications are gaining an increasing popularity [5], as many of the smart phones available in the market are now equipped with an NFC transceiver, which is used, as an example, in contactless transactions such as mobile payments and transit ticketing.…”